Media Releases

Fifteen candidates vying for seats on Amherst town council

Fifteen candidates are in the running for a position on Amherst’s town council in next month’s municipal election, including all of the incumbents.

There are three people vying for the mayor’s position in the Oct. 17, 2020, election, including the current mayor, David Kogon. He is being challenged by Ed Childs and Vaughn Martin.

Current council members Vince Byrne, Sheila Christie, Darrell Jones, Wayne MacKenzie and Terry Rhindress are running to reclaim one of six council seats that are up for grabs in the election. Also seeking seats are George Baker, Hal Davidson, Lisa Emery, Paul (Skippy) Farrow, Dale Fawthrop, Leon Landry and Roy Pettigrew.

Candidates competing for positions with Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial school board are Jerome Breau and Jessica Hinton.

The candidates are running in an historic election as this will be the first time the Town of Amherst will be using electronic voting only. There will be no paper ballots. Citizens will vote by via their telephone, computer or smartphone.

A walk through of the eVoting process is available online at www.intelivote.com/demos.

Citizens will receive further instruction and a personal identification number, also known as PIN, by mail in late September.

Voting will begin at noon on Oct. 5, 2020, and continue through election day, Oct. 17, 2020, which means voters have 12.5 days to cast their ballot.

Voters are encouraged to ensure they are on the voters list by calling 902-667-6523 or 902-667-3352 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You may also visit Amherst town hall, 98 Victoria Street E., Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., in the weeks prior to the election.

More information on how to vote electronically, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on the town’s website at: https://amherst.ca/Election-2020/How-To-Vote/.